Spiders are a serious phobia of mine, and the idea of having spiders crawling around in my home puts me on edge.
There are many methods for reducing spiders, but if you don’t want to rely on chemical sprays or harsh treatments, there are some other methods you can try, to make your home less inviting for spiders and other crawling insects.
Why Spiders Enter Your Home
Spiders come into our homes, because it offers them food, shelter and a suitable climate. If you notice more spiders than normal, they’re probably following prey like flies, mosquitoes or other insects that live near you.
The gaps around your windows, doors, vents and pipes give spiders easy access into your home.
Clutter, dark corners and unused boxes give spiders places to build their webs and hide. Regular cleaning, vacuuming and removing piles of clothing and cardboard will make your house less attractive to them.
If you have high indoor humidity, or warm spots in your home, they will draw spiders in to your home, as they look for somewhere comfortable to live. Lowering your home’s humidity with vents, or a dehumidifier will help reduce the appeal.
Seal Up Entry Points Around Windows And Doors
Walk around the outside of your home, and look for gaps, cracked caulk, warped frames or spaces under doors, where spiders and the insects they eat can crawl or fly in.
You use silicone or acrylic latex caulk to fill in the small cracks around your window frames and the trims of your external doors. Apply a continuous bead all the way along, and then smooth it out with a finger or tool, letting it cure so the seal remains tight and long lasting.
Look to install, or replace weatherstripping on the movable parts like sash windows and doors. Good weatherstripping will close up the gaps when the window/door is shut, as well as reducing drafts and energy loss.
Fir door sweeps on the bottoms of your exterior doors, blocking the narrow gap under the doors. Choosing a sweep that matches your threshold height, and is made of a durable material like rubber or a brush, for a snug fit.
Add or repair your screens on windows and vents, to stop spiders that come from outside. Check for tears and loose frames, using spline to seat screen material tightly.
Make sure you keep the areas around the doors and windows clear of clutter, leaves and stacked wood, reducing the potential hiding spots for crawling insects.
Reduce Outdoor Lighting That Attracts Insects
The outdoor light draws insects into your home, and these insects attract spiders. You can reduce the amount of spiders you get by changing how and when you light the exterior of your home.
Turn off unnecessary lights at night, using motion sensors (or timers) so lights only come on when you need them. This will help you in lowering the insect traffic, and makes your yard less inviting to spiders.
Choose bulbs that attract fewer insects. Yellow or warm-colored bulbs (and some amber LEDs) tend to bring in fewer bugs than a bright white or blue-white light. Make sure you point the lights downwards, to reduce the glow into open space.
Remove Webs As Soon As You Notice Them
You need to remove spider webs in your home, as soon as you see it, as it’ll stop a spider from settling and laying eggs in your home (it feels horrific just to write that). When you clear a web away, it removes the spider’s shelter, and the insect prey that attracts it.
Use a vacuum with a long hose, or a long-handles duster to reach the corners, ceilings and behind your furniture. Vacuums suck up webs and spiders without squishing them, so you can empty the bag or canister outside to reduce return visits.
Wipe down your walls, window sills and baseboards whenever you’re cleaning. Clean surfaces discourage spiders because they remove small insects and dust, that the spiders feed on.
Place down sticky traps near your baseboards, under furniture (like your sofa/couch) and in dark corners to catch wandering spiders. Check the traps often, replacing them whenever they get full. Sticky traps are really handy in reducing the number of spiders that rebuild webs.
Also make sure you remove outdoor webs near your doors or eaves, sweeping or hosing them away, to reduce the number of spiders entering your home.
Use Natural Scents That Spiders Tend To Avoid
You can reduce the number of spiders by using smells they hate within your home. Many natural spider repellents use essential oils or fresh plants that make your home less inviting.
Place small spider repellent pouches in the corners of rooms, in your closets and under the sink. Fill fabric sachets with dried lavender, cedar chips or mint leaves, and refresh them every few weeks.
Try essential oils like peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil or tea tree oil mixed with water in a spray bottle. Lightly mist your doorways, window frames and baseboards.
Place some spider-repellent plants near your home’s entry points, like lavender, peppermint and rosemary, which will all add scent and work as a deterrent.